Fate/Zero – 25 (END)

I don’t think I could have asked for a better conclusion to a series as special as this one. The final episode may not have been epic and emotional as the ones immediately preceding it, but it beautifully accomplished what all finales should: wrap up everything in both an emotionally and intellectually satisfying manner. Even though this task was made all the more difficult given the show’s ensemble cast and its propensity for piling on tragedies upon tragedies, Fate/Zero’s twenty-fifth and final episode gave each and every character, no matter how major or minor, the fitting conclusion that they deserved.

Everyone probably knows by now how I feel about Kiritsugu, so it should come as no real surprise that I am completely satisfied with the conclusion to his story. Although it’s not exactly the happy ending that I would have written for him, I think it’s one which he deserves because in my book, no person is beyond salvation, no matter how heinous their crimes may be. Isn’t it better for someone to be saved and begin to atone for their sins than to be eternally damned for them? That’s why regardless of what people may think about Kiritsugu’s ideology and even if they consider him the most dangerous and evil character in all of Fate/Zero, I still believe he is not beyond saving. The way I see it, he’s already been punished for his actions many times over: he’s seen things no man should ever see, done things no man should ever do, and lost things no man should ever lose.

Most importantly, Kiritsugu knew what he did was wrong and I felt that he worked hard to atone for them. He knew that the miracle he hope for and paid for with his sins was not only a farce but also dangerous to humanity, which gave him a new goal to work toward: saving the world from the tainted chalice itself. However, after failing to destroy the Grail and witnessing the destruction it wrought on the city, he probably thought Angra Mainyu had been unleashed upon the world, and all of his actions were for naught – but like Ilya says, Kiritsugu always works hard, no matter what. He did what any decent human being would do in his situation: he looked for survivors. This was more than a simple act of humanity though, because if Kiritsugu could save even one person, it would mean that he had saved someone from the Grail and from Angra Mainyu, and therefore, he could have some measure of atonement and in essence, save himself. To me, the mere fact that he tried to atone was enough to make him deserving of salvation and deserving of the conclusion which was written for him. His was a tragic life that was far too long defined by loss, and I wanted him to finally find peace and happiness – and what greater happiness could you give Kiritsugu than for his childhood dream to live on in his son?

Kirei

The conclusion to Kirei’s story was satisfying in that it was basically what you expected if you had already watched Fate/Stay Night. It explained how he became the person he was in the Fifth Holy Grail War, and put the final touches on the dichotomy which defined the latter half of this season. Kirei remained, as always, the ultimate antithesis to Kiritsugu. Perhaps what was most indicative of the gulf between the two was that while Kirei reveled in his newfound evil and cruelty and relished at the thought of Kiritsugu challenging him, the only thing the Magus Killer was interested in was saving lives. Even after Kirei was confronted with the truth of the Grail and the idea that the wake of destruction it left was the wish his heart desired, both things that even the King of Heroes himself was troubled over, did Kirei realize the error of his ways like Kiritsugu and begin to search for atonement? No… he merely laughed as he finally had the answers he was looking for, and vowed to spend the rest of his life continuing to searching for the solution, the formula which led to the twisted and corrupt answer. In the end, I don’t think there’s any answer that would ever satisfy Kirei while leaving the book open for Fate/Stay Night, and so this is probably the most fitting ending possible for such a dark and twisted character.

Kariya, Waver, Rin, and Lancelot

Poor Kariya, powerless to the very end – he didn’t even have enough strength left to tell the one he was fighting for why he fought for her sake. His is a deeply tragic character, and my only consolation, the only reason why I found his conclusion remotely satisfying, is that in his death, his dreams were as ideal as they come. Truthfully, he deserved a better ending – if only to show that there is a silver lining in fighting for your loved ones.

Out of all the characters in Fate/Zero, Waver is the one whose personality had changed the most throughout the Holy Grail War, and his ending here was also the one which made me smile the most. He’s begun to adopt some of the same interests that Rider had, and appears to be turning into a fine young man whom his grandparents love and adore. Undoubtedly, seeing all the items Rider left behind is a hard sight for him to take in, but I think that his reaction of playing Rider’s video game is a significant symbol of his maturity because before, I think he would have just began to sob. Waver basically lost his best friend to become the person he is today, but I take solace in knowing that it hopefully wasn’t in vain as Rider’s ideals will live on inside him.

Rin’s appearance in this finale was a little unexpected, but understandable since the Tohsaka family deserved an ending as well. To me, what really stood out about her was how stoic and mature she has been forced to become after her father’s death and her mother’s crippling brain damage from being strangled by Kariya. Gone was the childlike exuberance and innocence of yesteryear, replaced with the heavy burden of her family’s magic represented by the Azoth Dagger. This whole conclusion, like Kirei’s, only really served to bridge her story into Fate/Stay Night’s.

As for Lancelot, I’m very glad that at least some of his backstory was revealed, even if it wasn’t to the extent I would have liked. For a character whose history is so deeply intertwined with Saber’s, more character development on his part would have benefited hers as well. I would even go as far as to say that an additional episode centering on the backstories of the Arturia and her Knight of the Round Table would be a very welcome addition to the Fate/Zero saga. I think that for all knights, there are only two people they seeks to be judged by: God, and their King, and his quest for judgment and atonement at Saber’s hands would have made for an episode as strong as any of the series. In any case, I am just satisfied his story didn’t end abruptly in the last episode and was allowed to conclude by showing how loyal of a knight he was, even at the very end.

Saber

Last but not least, perhaps no character deserved a satisfying closure more than the King of Knights herself, whom I consider to probably be the most tragic character in all of Fate/Zero. With the story in the latter half of this season revolving around Kiritsugu and his nemesis Kirei, Saber’s role may have diminished compared to before, but ending her story in the previous episode would have been almost an unforgivable disservice to such an important character, one whose philosophy as a king was at the forefront for much of the series. As I alluded to in a previous post, there is something admirable, something brilliant in watching the tragic heroine chase her lofty ideals. Yet when the failures of those ideals are revealed and the bright and innocent face she once had is replaced with a pained and anguished one stained by tears, in a way, it felt like my own ideals had crumbled along with hers. I realize most of Saber’s tearful words rang true and clear: her ideology may not be the best one to lead a kingdom; she was unable to understand the hearts of those beside her; and her lack of anger caused Lancelot to turn to madness in search of atonement. However, for all her faults, her righteousness still inspires me the same way it once inspired Lancelot and all who served her. Saber, in my heart, you will always be the greatest of all kings.

Not only did this finale give all the characters the conclusions they deserved, it also gave us a conclusion that this fantastic show deserved. A series as wonderfully written as this one should not leave us wondering about anything – except the next time we’ll be graced with a series as special as this. I think that if I had three wishes from the Holy Grail, after going through the usual wishes like mankind’s salvation and a kiss from Saber, my final wish would be that the wait for another series of Fate/Zero’s caliber to be measured in months, not years.

BakaMochi:

I… think I need to marathon Teletubbies for the rest of the week or something because wow that was such an amazing yet depressing finale. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say no one gets a happy ending, maybe save for Kirei. Even Waver, the sole survivor of the Fourth Holy Grail War, only really manages a bittersweet ending – he grew into an adult, and there’s less of that naive enthusiasm he had at the beginning of the series. While that was inevitable, I wanted someone to be happy by the end of all the suffering that it brought tears to my eyes as he began playing that video game Rider had bought, but never got to open. Waver is learning to open his mind and branch out due to Iskander’s influence on him, but it puts a melancholy spin on things when you realize the price of his maturity.

If there’s one part in this finale that was so heartbreaking, yet so engrossing to watch, it was probably Saber’s soliloquy on the hill of swords. It’s a pretty significant scenery in a lot of ways, but most prominently since it features Saber by herself, lamenting her deeds. It’s the way she’s always been, never able to look forward because she considers her inability as a king to be too great a sin. It’s driven home even more here and Kawasumi Ayako has to be commended for her stellar acting here – she conveys Saber’s emotions perfectly, and that crying was just so. Gut. Wrenching. This was the scene that just gutted me because I’ve always been able to empathize with Saber and understood her views better than most characters. She may not be right and characters like Rider have called her foolish, but at the end of it all, what she wanted was a brighter future for her people, which no one can rebuke her for. It’s just saddening she takes no pride in what she’s done and would rather give it all up if it meant someone else can take her spot and be the better king – that’s some immense self-loathing right there, compounded by a tremendous responsibility for someone so young. Saber’s problem lies not in the fact she couldn’t understand her people, but the fact she understands them too much; it’s evident in Lancelot’s words she never once blamed him, and that sort of forgiveness does not come from one who cannot sympathize with nor understand others. Ironically, her love for her subjects is what drove their destruction – sometimes the light simply becomes too unbearable, and it’s easier to turn to the shadows for comfort. I suspect that’s not just Lancelot’s case; in trying to become the perfect king, Saber became a light too strong for her people, creating an irreparable rift and the misunderstanding that she could not understand them.

I thought Saber would be the bottom of the barrel when it came to the utter despair that comprised most of the finale, but apparently I’d forgotten all about Kiritsugu! I… don’t think his situation needs much explaining; irony is pretty much the expected result whenever the Magus Killer does something, and watching him try to save people from the disaster he’d created (in hopes of saving the world, mind you) was both cringe-worthy and well, sad. To make a comparison, Kiritsugu is all too similar to the magical girls in Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica – the concept of the girls’ wishes betraying them in the end runs parallel to Kiritsugu and his ideals betraying him. In both cases, the cruelest thing is the fact they don’t have anyone but themselves to blame for all their misfortune.

Kiritsugu’s ideals have always been built on a fragile foundation, driven by guilt and self-loathing; everything has been compounded on those emotions alone and the house of cards have always been bound to fall, and fall spectacularly. The simple desire to become a hero became convoluted and twisted, and although he committed all sorts of atrocious deeds in order to search for its meaning, he never did find it. But what else was to be expected from such a bitter and blood-stained path Kiritsugu chose to walk? It’s pretty clear after watching this finale where the core concept of Madoka came from – your ideals will only betray you in the end, and you will have no one else to blame for it but yourself. Of course, there’s no Godoka to right the wrongs in this series, so there’s no hope to be found here.

On the whole, the finale – and the series – was dense and while amazing, very difficult to watch. Especially in the second half, Fate/Zero has never failed to inspire despair whenever I watched it, because the characters never seemed to catch a break (see: everyone except Gil and Kirei). The only guy that really “wins” in the end is the sadist, and I’m not sure what to make of the message the show is trying to send. Abandon all hope? There’s no doubt in my mind Fate/Zero is an amazing series, but it’s definitely one that thoroughly exhausts the viewer’s psyche in terms of the balance between tragedy and happy resolution. Each situation is dark and gritty, and nothing gets sugarcoated – the brutality of the Holy Grail Waris depictedin all its bloody glory and the irony of a Holy Grailhousing all the evils of the world definitely doesn’t get missed here. I would even argue that each character gets almost triple the retribution of whatever sin they committed; I have no idea what on Earth Kariya did to the universe, but it obviously hates his guts since even the smallest of actions on his part result in a lifetime’s worth of grief and tragedy. His story never failed to stir sympathy in me, but damn it if it didn’t leave me wondering why he was going through all this on many occasions. It was almost like he was being tortured for the sake of filling a quota, to really make the viewer abandon any hope for a decent ending for the prodigal Matou Magus. I’d say the producers succeeded because I gave up wishing for a happy ending for him ages ago – by the finale, I was mostly hoping they’d let him go in peace. Request denied.

It’s probably the only gripe I have with the series in general: it’s overly cruel. This is especially true in the second half and comparing it to the first half, it almost feels like a different series since the first season was so innocuous in all its set-up and long-winded dialoguesabout moralsand the meaning of pleasure. That ominous atmospherewas always there, but in no way did I expect the amount of sheer unadulterated despair the second season dished out. Realism is great, but I wonder if Fate/Zero’s preoccupation with tragedy prevented it from becoming an even more amazing series that I could watch over and over again without fear of being overwhelmed. The last two episodes suffer this problem especially, and somewhere along the line, the show plummeted from my “Must Watch” list to “I’m Afraid to Watch this Episode” list. This is the sort of thing that keeps me from saying it’s my favorite. Events certainly move me, but it’s always in a negative direction and never the positive – whereas you have shows like Tsuritama, Sakamichi no Apollon, and even Kuroko no Basuke where there’s always, always emotional pay-off. You get angst, but then you right away get something back for that anxiety and anticipation you felt for the characters, in whatever form. They rip my heart out, but the shows always give it back before I can die from it. They strike a nice balance so that you’re never skewed too negative or too positive; I’m not sure Fate/Zero achieves this balance. In fact, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t. To the bitter end. It’s managed to rip my heart out, stomp on it and blend it into juice before I can even register it’s been done.

So, when all is said and done, do I like Fate/Zero? I love it, and the series has some of my favorite characters to date. Do I think it’s an amazing series? Yes! Ufotable did a spectacular job with the series, and although I can’t vouch for its loyalty to the source material, I can say nothing felt half-assed. Lacking, maybe, but never half-assed. They really went the extra mile for this series and you can tell from the little details in the animation to that stellar OST. Is it something I’ll marathon over and over again though? Um, only when I’m feeling masochistic.

From the opening minutes of the very first episode, I knew this series was going to turn out to be something very special, and the twenty four episodes that followed borne out my prediction. The presentation itself was leaps and bounds better than most other shows I had seen, starting with the jaw-dropping, cinema quality animation and the simply stunning action sequences that ufotable somehow carried over to the small screen from its experience animating the Kara no Kyokai films. The musical score, written by famed composer Kajiura Yuki, was not only instantly memorable, but it also fit each and every scene perfectly, and most importantly, elevated the emotional impact of the series the way all the good soundtracks should. As magnificent the presentation was however, it was merely a tool to convey what truly elevates Fate/Zero into the realm of a masterpiece: Gen Urobuchi’s dark and tragic, yet hauntingly beautiful story.

Even though I, like many others, already knew the ending of the Fourth Holy Grail having seen Fate/Stay Night, the journey to get there was something I looked forward to week after week, thanks to his wonderfully well-written narrative and the many compelling characters. Fate/Zero’s greatest strength lies in the fact that it has an extremely well-developed ensemble cast of characters with no one character dominating the narrative too much compared to the rest. This allowed for each character’s ideology and ideals to be well-defined. With so many of the characters willing to sacrifice everything, even their own humanity, in pursuit of the Holy Grail, the complex dynamics and the captivating battles that ensued with both weapons and words, was one that Urobuchi and ufotable weaved into near perfection.

A myriad of themes with sacrifice, despair, and tragedy at their core pervades this entire work, making it one of the most complex, cerebral, and thought-provoking series in recent memory – and I loved every single minute of it. One episode I keep coming back to is the now famous “Holy Grail Dialogue” episode, and it’s hard to think of another episode of anime that is able to inspire the same level of intellectual discourse. However, for Fate/Zero this was actually only slightly above par for the course – it seemed like every other episode, especially in the latter half of the series, sparked thoughtful debates and discussion on a level that few other shows could ever hope to achieve. On a more personal level, I know that no other series has been able to make me question my own ideologies as much as Fate/Zero has, but I never tired of thinking about these deep and heavy ideas. Nor did I tire of the tragedy and despair it seemed like every character was destined for. They were neatly bookended by stunning action sequences that let my weary mind, if not my eyes and ears, relax and decompress before serving me once more with food for thought – a recipe not easily emulated, but one which makes Fate/Zero one of the best shows of the year, if not all time.

In the end, I feel both blessed and cursed to have taken part in the banquet of kings that is Fate/Zero: blessed to have watched and written about a series this special, but cursed in knowing that I will probably have wait a long time before experiencing another series like it. Yet I do not regret anything, for this is a series that comes so close to perfection it is worth every tear, every heartbreaking moment, and every curse.

verdant’s note: Special thanks to BakaMochi for taking her time to share with us her wonderful thoughts and insights on this amazing show, and to you, our readers for making it through this epic, nearly 4000 word long post.

A singular ending that ties up loose ends will never exist. If it did then we wouldn’t have fate/stay night. And considering fate/zero is a prequal I guess that’s a very good thing. I think they did a very good job ending it where it did.

i absolutely loved this series the finale was a perfect tie in to fate, answering a lot of questions and putting a lot in perspective.. my only qualm was that i had the absolute hardest time taking gil seriously when he just sits there in his birthday suit. i mean, i wonder how long he just sat there, nude, watching kirei breathe…

Yeah, um, so… I’ve actually read it all. That’s why, I will not say anything. I don’t need to.
Pity I had to watch the show in shitty 480p quality… Still, everything concerning the animation was great!
Kajiura Yuki… Oh well, much to be expected of her. Good job, Miss!

That was amazing to watch on screen for anyone thats already read the novels i’m sure.
Thanks to the writers!

and, maybe i’m a little twisted or maybe its cuz i’ve already read it so i know what happens but did anyone else burst out laughing for a while when Kirei opens his eyes and the first thing he sees is Gilgamesh naked? XD

There was one particular part, which was not commented on, that I found quite interesting was in the final scene with kiri and shirou. Where his statement about becoming a hero lead to the sunlight breaking through the clouds on the sword of hills for Saber. I found that symbolism there very beautiful as if shirou was proving to be a beacon of hope for both of our tragic protaginists.

An amazing anime with such an amazing post review. I couldn’t ask for anything better. I feel that after watching Fate Zero I could finally watch the whole franchise with everything in place and enjoy how epic the story, characters, and action come together. I would definitely recommend this anime if anyone asks me about it.

Fate/Zero will for now, if not forever, hold the place for most emotionally powerful series i have ever watched. From Angel Beats, Another, Gundam(all but SD and AGE) and Code Geass, each one takes a single powerful idea and moves it in a spectacular path. But to bring tragedy, remorse, horror, love, idealism and gut wrenching sacrifice to this level in a single series…its beyond words. I think people could just as easily use this as a term paper or even a masters thesis and they would only be scraping the surface of what makes Fate/Zero so powerful. A great many thanks to the author, his mark will be as profound as many whom i have read rather than watched, and a thousand thanks to ufotable, without whom this series would have been so very very different. Thanks to the staff of RandomC, for following this series from beginning to end. Reading the reviews was an added pleasure after watching the episodes. Goodnight and good luck.

Fucking depressing. But it is also very touching. I don’t really symphatize Kiritsugu for 24 episodes, but this last episode changes my mind. Everything is just really heart wrenching.
As a series, for me fate/zero is absolutely amazing. Probably the only problem that i have with the series is that it is a prequel (although i know it’s very silly to complain about such a fundamental thing). But if only it weren’t a prequel, there is still hope the ending would have been happier (at least Kirei might be dead… Argh i hate that guy!!)

The one thing that I could hope to follow up on this with is a series that treats Fate/Stay Night with the sort of respect and power that Fate/Zero has shown. It ties a lot of things together in Stay/Night, and does a great job of leading in – Kiritsugu’s torch is passed on to Shirou (although if you look at how twisted Shirou becomes due to taking up his father’s dream, you can question if it is a good thing or not) and the story rolls on to the next grail war.

I found myself hoping they might flash forward to some scenes from Fate Stay/Night however, just to give a bit more closure. A few quick cuts from the Unlimited Blade Works movie of Gil’s final battle and Kirei’s fate and such might well have been interesting to see in the conclusion…

Nothing punches the gut like an episode full of Urobuchi-style suffering.

Except for Waver of course. Waver pretty much stands out from the others since his story is simply a Coming of Age story. What I like about this is that Waver shows that Urobuchi isn’t a nihilistic suffering-junkie like many believe. Waver comes out of the War a better person for it and the payoff is AWESOME.

On the other end, Kariya is the example of true tragedy. He was completely ineffectual, everything he did was pointless and no one will remember him. He pretty much shows that simple self-sacrifice was not enough. When it comes down to it he didn’t have the will or the mentality to make it past the war.

Kiritsugu is on the same level but unlike Kariya he came in the war fully expecting to lose those he cares. Sadly even he did not realize the Grail was corrupted. In the end, the loss of his wife, his protege and the unintentionally killing of thousands for absolutely nothing was enough to break even him. Saving little Shiro was probably the only good thing he felt he could do but at least Shiro will be destined to fix things on the next War.

One thing I also like about F/Z is that it actually made Saber interesting. It takes her flaws and contrasts it with other characters and Saber actually comes of as someone I can understand and sympathize with. Its a little annoying though that F/SN takes this and makes her into a bland and boring character.

For all the faults of F/SN Fate route though, it does give a satisfying payoff with the Azoth Dagger setup that F/Z provides. Seeing Kirei give the dagger to Rin was just awful to think, but irony will always catch up to Kirei.

> Except for Waver of course. Waver pretty much stands out from the others since his story is
> simply a Coming of Age story. What I like about this is that Waver shows that Urobuchi isn’t > a nihilistic suffering-junkie like many believe. Waver comes out of the War a better person
> for it and the payoff is AWESOME.
First, sorry for my late reply.
Yes, Urobuchi did a great job this time. I especially like how did he illustrated Krirtsugu (one of my favouirte protagonist in all time) and his way of being a ‘magi killer’ (if all these are Urobuchi’s work. Please correct me if I’m wrong).

The scenes like how did Kiritsugu equipped himself in the hotel (ep2 or ep 3), taking out the master of Lancer with C4 (this is one of my favourite scene in battles of might and sorcery now) and, of course, his final battle against Kirei are all genius idea!

For Waver, I think the combination of this naive young man with Alexander the Great is one of the most enjoyable part in the entire story and I loved every moment of it. So, when I see Waver is still alive, I can’t helped but wonder: why don’t TYPE-MOON make a spin-off out of him in the time span of Fate/Stay Night?

By the way, when you said Saber is bland and boring, do you mean her story in the anime of Fate/Stay night or the original novel? I will be frank, I am a fan of Saber (from her ‘performance’ in anime, yes). However, please don’t get the wrong idea. I know a lot of people are fans of Rin and I totally accept that.^_^

There goes a damn good series… I just hope that something of this caliber would be available soon. U.Gen should really be attached to more projects, Madoka and Fate/Zero had been amazing.

But I do not really understand why did the grail take form and wreck the city when no one gave it a form. Saber did blast the grail with her anti-fortress move and yet all hell break loose. Anyone mind explaining it to me? I am not sure of the closure on Iri, did she truly die after the corruption of the grail? Or was that her when Kerry strangled her?

But I do not really understand why did the grail take form and wreck the city when no one gave it a form. Saber did blast the grail with her anti-fortress move and yet all hell break loose. Anyone mind explaining it to me? I am not sure of the closure on Iri, did she truly die after the corruption of the grail? Or was that her when Kerry strangled her?

The Grail in here isn’t actually an actual Grail, it’s a key. It’s a vessel that holds the energy of the Servants and then transfers it to the Greater Grail, located below Mount Enzou. That energy is the one used to open a pathway to the Root or the Akashic Records.

When Saber Excaliblasted the Grail, or the Lesser Grail, the energy cannot be contained anymore since the container controlling all 6 of the energies of the Heroic Spirits(including Saber’s yes)was destroyed and it spilled out in the form of that black mud. That black hole in the sky is like a portal that transfers the prana from the Lesser Grail to the Greater Grail. And there was still a lot of residual prana there that the next war restarted in 10 years instead of the standard 60 years.

And yes, Iri did die when her body transformed into the cup. The person Kerry encountered inside the vision is the will of the Grail or Angra Mainyu. It took up the last desire of Iri to preserve her self as she dies. And the will of the Grail needed a form so that it and Kerry can talk and understand each other.

Thanks for this. I guess there are some minor but important details that are lost through the adapation.
So when Saber destroys the grail, there’s basically no war for heroic spirits to exist in the current world anymore? (except for Gilgamesh, who is conveniently reincarnated by plot armor)

No, the one maintaining the Servants in the physical world is the Greater Grail. It relieves the Masters from most of the burden of maintaining the Servants in this world.
Just that when the two week cycle of the Holy Grail war is over, it will be harder for Masters to support Servants(evident in the Good End of UBW route of the game and the True End of Heaven’s Feel).

As for Gil, even if he lost a Master, he can still exist through the ability of the Archer class, Independent Action. His is ranked A so he can last for a full week without a Master.
But after being bathed in the mud, he obtained a physical body himself so he doesn’t need a Master anymore. Of course he’s still connected to Kirei via the Command Seals. And he still needs prana in order to use GoB.

…And thus this tale concludes and we leave on a tragic yet somehow reassuring note.

I’m probably if not definitely just “echoing” the general opinion/reaction: This anime was a masterpiece from start to finish. And let no one disagree otherwise.

I’d even go as far to say that it’s an anime that can pander both ways, what I mean is that it’s for those that have OR haven’t heard of the Fate series or Fate/Stay Night. I believe this to be proven especially those kind of people that are avid TYPE-MOON fans, but some have probably never bothered nor was able to read the original source material, in this case, the original light novels.

Ufotable has done almost flawlessy, the choreography was amazing, half the time when I wasn’t captivated by the characters, I was savoring the backgrounds which really brought out an atmosphere unlike any other; that lesser studios or companies have, and will always attempt to foolishly achieve.

Please, Ufotable whatever that teaser you said a few weeks back is gonna be; in any case.
PLEASE ANIMATE HEAVEN’S FEEL AND/OR HOLLOW ATRAXIA, I KNOW I CAN’T BE THE ONLY ONE ASKING FOR SUCH.

In the end, Fate/ZERO were what it promised to be; a spectacular series from beginning to end despite the bumps along the way (not that I minded that). I’ll miss this series for all that it meant to me; how much a love Ayako Kawasumi’s role as Saber (she’s my 2nd favorite seryuu behind Nana Mizuki) to the meaning it brings to Fate/Stay Night.

WOW!!!!!!
As a fan of Saber: Shocking!
As a fan of Saber who have just watched Fate/Zero: double shocking!!!!!
As a fan of Saber who have just watched Fate/Zero and looked at these two pictures:
WOW!!WOW!!!WOW!!!!

So good yet so sad. I felt my heart wrecking when saber screamed back in the valley of swords. I have to say, I enjoyed this trip, I learned allot about myself on it, and about the world and the greatest and most fearsome monster in all existence, the man. I really hope this kind of formula is used again in other series, I sure will apply what I learned from it in my book, but I believe the writers went too far trying to be “realistic” and made it to cruel.

Although I was not a big fan of FSN before, after watching this prequel, FSN has suddenly become so intriguing. If Fate Zero came out as the original series and FSN be the sequel, I think I would have a completely different opinion on FSN. Fate Zero just adds so much more depth to FSN that I feel the two really come together as a complete story. All in all, Fate Zero was an enjoyable ride and who knows when we can come across another one so epic. >_< Show Spoiler ▼

On a side note, Sakura portrayed here is probably most closely resemble to the her in Heaven’s Feel. It would be very very nice if Ufotable can adapt Heaven’s Feel as their next project!!

I have to agree with everyone else… this was indeed a satisfying ending for Fate/Zero. And as such, it was depressing to a fault. And yet, it wasn’t a complete downer. Waver got off well enough, the death of Rider aside. And seeing Shirou brought a smile to my face.

Seeing a light fall down upon Saber as Shirou proclaims he’ll carry on Kiritsugu’s dreams also warmed my heart. The one person who can truly save Saber from her regret and ideals, and the one person who can finally set things right and stop Kotomine and Gilgamesh, puts himself on the life course that will shape him for Fate/Stay Night. Both Waver’s ending and that scene save the ending and give a hint of light to an otherwise dark tale.

Man, that was a great series! I hope they make a sequel about the 5th grail war! Maybe that kid that Emiya adopted could become the new master of Saber, and Rin could get Archer! But then who does Illy get…

Ah, well. I guess it’ll just be left to fanfiction. And I’ve got the perfect title:

FATE/STAY NIGHT!

But then again, the sequel would have all that pressure of never being able to live up to the original…hm.

For the love of… Just because Fate/Stay Night had a shitty company create a bad adaptation that cut almost all depth from the story does not invalidate FSN. Its unfortunate that Studio DEEN failed so badly, but we can only hope that ufotable will be able to animate Heavens Feel, or (in my wildest, happiest dreams) create a remake of the whole anime, three seasons, one for each route.

Words cannot describe how great this story was and its connection/continuation to F/SN. A true masterpiece. I can vouch for this compared to the Light Novel. Other than tiny “flaws” (eg. People might not completely understand why Sakura said those words to Kariya) for describing minor events, it was truly perfect.

Manly tears were shed on the last couple of episodes where I didn’t for the Light Novel. They did a great job on delivering the emotional part of the story to us. Personally, as a Fate series fan, it might take some time for me to recover from such depression.

Oh well, at least they did show something for us to smile in between:Show Spoiler ▼

Hahaha! Did I not tell you that Lancelot’s monologue would come in this episode!? Rewarded are they strong in faith! (Unless you’re being written by Urobutchi-sama)
There were parts in this episode that were laugh out loud funny, mostly because they were so aweful I couldn’t react any other way, like Kirei enjoying the suffering of little girls and Kiritsugu desperately trying to save anyone, but also Gilgamesh nakedly proclaiming to have shown Kirei his true desire (*ahem*). It was here I realized that my viewing experience most matched Kirei and Ryuunosuke’s world views, which was a little disconcerting.
After all, this may have been the greatest tragedy I have ever watched. It’s prequel status didn’t hinder it because the show reveled in the pointlessness and inevitability. The countdown clock at the end was always the cold reminder that everyone’s days were numbered, that the story was set.
And yet, it ends with hope. The torch is passed to a new generation to make things right and the light breaks through the dark clouds that have cast deep shadows upon our favorite drama. Someone get Aristotle because this is what he meant with catharsis.
Bra-fucking-vo.

I meant more along the lines of relishing the suffering that unfolded before me week after week but yeah, I have never heard a view of God I agreed more with than his. I guess bright ideas can be found in the darkest minds.

Actually their views can’t be more different. While both find pleasure of people’s pain, Uryuu’s true wish was to see his own guts. He was mentally insane without recognizing good and evil, seeing God as something like Urobuchi (he isn’t mistake). While Kirei can’t find any satisfaction or joy in anything. It’s not an intellectual issue. He has a conscience that was nurtured by a pious and religious upbringing (this is his major thorn at the side), but he was born with a distorted soul. If he didn’t believe the world wanted good and God existed, then a lot of his self-loathing upon the realization of his wish wouldn’t exist.

Gilgamesh likes him precisely for that conflict he has with himself. He tries to be more than he was born to be and defies who made him that way by seeking answers.

Ultimately, Kirei’s a tragic character who was born damned and only wanted to know if it was a crime to be different from the rest after a lifetime of trying to change himself (and failing).

That…..was wow. All the emotions I had for this episode, thank you Ufotable for providing another great experience.

The knowledge of Irisviel’s overall fate coupled with Kiritsugu’s breakdown made me feel so uneasy. Kariya’s ending was just utterly depressing. Kirei and Gilgamesh surviving is already well-known amongst fans, but it just adds to the overall cruelty to the events that transpired. Finally, that moment as Saber recalls her failures in the end, I just felt so guhhhh….. T_T

I think I’ll go back and watch Kara no Kyoukai for now….Show Spoiler ▼

…because despite the amount of death and despair throughout the films, at least we know that Shiki and Mikiya got their well-deserved happy ending which makes me feel good inside. If anything, it’s one of those instances where giving it a tragic/sad ending would’ve felt more like a cop-out and an utter cliche.

Anyways, I hope to see more adaptations from this very same combination between Type-Moon, Ufotable, and Yuki Kajiura, because so far they’ve created some of the best anime I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching.

If this series wasn’t a prequel I would agree with BakaMochi in questioning what was the message and how tragic it ends.Show Spoiler ▼

But since it’s not I can’t. Kariya is the only character I can questions at the moment but as for everyone else the message carries on to what I believe fulfills our two protagonist’s paths. Kerry’s true dream is carried on by Shirou, and while it seems he also is lost in one life which creates the heroic spirit archer in FSN, in UBW it shows that he will overcome what he didn’t that caused him to become archer.

Sabar’s gets a chance to find love in FSN and come to terms with her past and overcome her regret.

Also Kirei gets his well deserved end by the dagger he gives to Rin.

So overall the message seems to be bittersweet, due Sabar not being able to live with Shirou, but overall a story where struggling for something you believe in will pay off in some way.

Kariya, although he wasn’t created an mentioned when the VN was written, was made to be a lesson for Sakura to not seek help or disobey Zouken in the LN. His death broke her mentally. Which is how we see her before she meets Shirou in HF.

Shirou finds out all the truth in HF: about his father, Sakura (his love interest and also a Grail), his sister Illya, the reasons of Kirei (his alter ego-Shirou is like him: an empty man-who is both an ally who saves Shirou’s, Illya’s, Sakura’s and Rin’s lives through the story ironically and fights Zouken, and later returns as last obstacle), the great grail is taken care of (which it doesn’t happen in the other two routes), etc. I wraps up the plot.

Kiritsugu’s real wish was to have a family in peace. While he aspired to be a hero of justice, he didn’t want to do it by destroying his happiness. This was a lesson he learned too late and regretted it by throwing away his loved ones. Shirou is put in his very shoes in HF: would you kill your loved ones for the sake of the faceless majority?

Azoth dagger also appears in importance: to kill Saber. FZ Anime really messed up to not make her eyes flash yellow when she demanded the Grail to Gilgamesh. It was a hint of the corruption.

Time to save up a crap load of money for the blu-rays!
One of the best series, ever! The final sceven where Shiro told Kiritsugu about taking up his ideals was just pure GOLD for visual novel fans. I really hope they will remake the first two routes, along with animating heaven’s feel. A guy can always dream, right?

I was disappointed. I expected something more, like maybe a battle or something. Last episode’s end happens, devastation happens, Kiritsugu goes crazy, Kirei and Gilgamesh are alive, Saber goes crazy, and that’s it. Talk about underwhelmed.

I understand completely. Maybe it’s a long exposure to shonen series that made me expect an amazing final clash between Saber and Archer, yet at the same time, with what the episode offered in all other aspects, there’s absolutely no way I can feel underwhelmed with the episode in whole.

That was really, really bitter. I didn’t get emotional or depressed but some scenes left me with a scowl. The scenes where Kariya passes away and especially where Kirei passes the knife onto Rin were some of the darkest scenes in the series. The ending also sets the groundwork for Fate/Stay Night perfectly. Kiritsugu’s curse of heroism doesn’t fade: it is passed down to Shirou.

Some people are already treating Fate/Zero as the holy grail of anime, and it’s pretty hard to deny that this was great series. It’s pretty damn difficult not to recommend. However, in the end, there were problems and mishaps in the series which haven’t been resolved. In particular, the conclusion of all things felt rushed and the three leads make me feel a true connection to them. However, saying that any character here was bad would be dead wrong. All characters are admirable or likable in their own ways, and embody the philosophies and personal beliefs that they bring to the table. The plot and characters are all just great.

I’m not going to say that this was a 10/10, because it wasn’t. But saying that this wasn’t a damn good show to watch is foolish. It was a damn fun ride and maybe, just maybe, the best of the season or even the best of the year.

* You get to see the end of Sakuras story
* You get to see the end of Kirei and Archer
* You even get to see how Ilya and Shiro bond
* If they want to be extra nice to fanboys they could include Rin learning from Waver
* It would still be tragic. A lot.
* You would get an explanation of the grail ritual from Zouken
* You would learn what Zouken planed for the next war, and it would be EPIC.

FSN was one of the series that got me into anime fandom and FZ is now one of the few series that reinforces the decision that was made years ago. It certainly found its place among the likes of Madoka Magica, Bake/Nise-, Last Exile I (just to name a few)

For all the tragedy and despair, the series certainly has its up lifting moments…

As much as I want to say that this episode was really touching, it did not make me shed manly tears. Iskandar’s departure trumps all other tear jerking scene thus far.

UFOtable, you really did an awesome job with the series… Gen Urobochi, you’re one magnificent writer and UTW for the awesome and quick translation.

Now I wonder if Saya no Uta would get animated. Have yet to play the game but i heard it’s down right sick

What a bittersweet ending…. After playing FSN Vn watched and its anime, I always wondered why Kiritsugu abandoned Illiya. But now I know that he didn’t actually abandoned her, it just that the damn Einsbern stop him from seeing her…. But what a sad family they are…

Kiritsugu died before he able to meet Illiya and the real Iri (damn you kotomine!)
Iri died before she able to meet Kiritsugu and lliya
Kiritsugu and Iri died before Illiya able to meet them

When Shirou said he will do things that Kiritsugu unable to do I was touched because he actually do everything that Kiritsugu wanted in FSN especially saving Illiya from Einsbern and her fate from becoming the Holy Grail. The ending is beautiful if you watched/played FSN before.

I have to say that I totaly disagree with gilgamesh explanation. There is no reason for what happend to be Kirei’s wish. He was already dead and Kiritsugu was the nearest form the grail. What I think is that Saber destroyed the “container” but not the “content” which was the dark mud. And without it’s container the mud had no choice but to spread over the city

I think Gil was pulling Kireis leg. He does use him as a form of entertainment. Tough its not clear to me why Rins mother is alive. Maybe tormenting her was kind of a wish of Kirei. He does end up giving her the dagger he used to kill his father. Show Spoiler ▼

You know its funny how that dagger ends up in Fate to be the one Shiro used to kill him.

And he seems to enjoy seeing her in tears. Its hardly something Kiritsugu wished for, and its too specific to be a side effect of the mud spreading.

Don’t take Gil’s explanation that seriously. He merely interpreted it as such because they were the last team standing and thus the winners of the war. And as winners, their wish is granted. Which isn’t true at all as the Grail did not accept a wish from anyone since Kerry was the chosen one but he rejected it.
As for the mud spilling out, you’re correct there because Saber destroyed the Lesser Grail which contains the prana of the fallen Servants. Without the container, the contents spilled out. What Kerry should have ordered to Saber is to destroy the black hole in the sky that is the portal to the Greater Grail but of course Kerry didn’t know that.

Is that… Taiga in the background swinging her wooden sword? Credit to ufotable for managing to squeeze a cameo for her in the end as well.

In fact, credit to ufotable for a spectacular adaptation of Urobuchi Gen’s spectacularly depressing prequel of FS/N. Everything have come full circle, even Lancelot’s death scene was covered here when I thought they had omitted it last episode.

The conclusion of the 4th War was the turning point for Saber. Before, she desired the Grail to redo her reign so that it may be less flawed and more perfect. Now, having realized her reign was doomed to fail from the start, decided to change her wish, and in the 5th War, her wish had changed to wishing she had never become King Arthur.

I always find Saber to be dealt most cruelly by Nasu (Urobuchi merely amplified such cruelty), she never did had a happy ending in either of the FS/N game arcs:

Maybe UBW came closest to a “happy” ending for Saber, where she survived, though Shiro ended with Rin in that ending.

I thought the part with Sakura commenting on Kariya’s end could be done better, the way I saw it, she sounded too uncaring and/or ungrateful. Then again, getting molested and violated by phallic-looking worms for an entire year does kind of warp your mind seriously. Or we would not have the carnage that is HF.

Now for ufotable to remake FS/N and/or Tsukihime. Until then, bring on the Mahou Shoujo show starring Ilya to heal our wounded hearts from all this tragedy and suffering on FZ.

I’m curious, is Kinoko Nasu a he? A she? Others? A Mushroom? Even google doesn’t give me any solid information about him/her. A famous person like him/her, should at least have a 1-2 pictures floating around the internet. But can’t find any.

Anyway, Fate/Zero delivers me what I have been craving for this past few year in my Anime menu. Insanely Dark, Mature Cast (that acts mature), none of those crappy Shonen-esque stuff, no BS-dialogue and so much more in an Epic fantasy setting.
Hands down one of the most amazing Anime series that I have ever experienced. And from start to finish everything is just so awesome. Having watched/reads FSN and never have touched the F/Z novel (yet), and seeing Ufotable will animate it, I have a very high expectation for this series, but F/Z has just surpassed it in unbelievable level.
I think that is the only main downside of the F/Z for me is that, even though a lot of my friends seeing me that enjoying F/Z. I actually cannot fully recommend them to watch it, because I think that they need to experience first the 50+hrs text in the novel, so that they can fully, fully enjoy the show and not pestering me with questions.

All my tears went to this episode. Simply heartbreaking. And I know how Saber feels—the feeling of losing tons of important things—or rather people—to her. That explains the hatred she bears towards Shirou in the course of F/SN since Shirou learned to follow the ideals of Kiritsugu himself.

All in all, Fate/Zero was a fabulous run. With ufotable in charge of almost everything + Gen Urobuchi for script, it has truly been a breathtaking series. This is where I wish ufotable to make a F/SN remake, F/hollow ataraxia anime or a Heaven’s Feel anime. It would be very much appreciated.

Then also, to the RandomC staff who blogged each and every episode with elegance! \o/

I don’t think she bears any hatred to Shiro in F/SN. If anything, she is almost too patient with him. Hell, if I were “rebooting” F/SN, one thing I would do is depict Saber having a “You gotta be effin kiddin me” reaction when she learns Shiro’s name.

BTW, novel readers, does Saber ever encounter Illya at Castle Einzbern? Even if she didn’t, Saber’s reaction Illya in F/SN is another thing worthy of a retcon, given how much she looks Iri.

Supposedly, Saber didn’t react because she thought it was just another Homunculus made to look like Ilya. Not that out of surprising since all of them look alike, but the explanation is still a bit retconny.

I want to talk a little about Kirei’s final character development, because that one scene in the fire gives you such insight into him, that fascinates me.

The main conflict in Kirei has always been that he was born evil, literally born broken somehow, and is unable to find any happiness or joy in anything but people suffering. No matter what he tries (and he has tried literally everything, which is why hes so good at fighting, magic, exorcism, etc) he cant find any fulfillment except in making people suffer. Not even having a wife and kid who loved him could do anything. That would have been fine if he was a regular joe off the street, cause then he would have just ended up being another Ryunosuke. However, Kirei was born to a very pious father, and raised with strong morals and a faith in god. Since he was raised in such a way that he knows the difference between right and wrong, he struggles and represses his inner desires for years not realizing what makes him happy until Gilgamesh comes along. he represses it so strongly, that he isnt even aware of his inclination towards hurting others.

This is the moment, when he starts laughing in the fire, that he realizes the truth of what makes him happy. This is when he transforms from the ‘moody, searching for answers” kirei of Fate/Zero, to the “pure evil Magnificent trolling bastard” Kirei that we all know and love(to hate). The way the novel shows us his thoughts is epic and chilling in a way that the anime really couldn’t have replicated, and i dont have much else to say, cause this bit from the novel really says it all. I love how it mentions how he will always have that evil smile now. From the Fate/Zero novel:

“A crimson hell. The tortured screams that the wind carried to his ears. Dancing tongues of flame. Kirei stared blankly at this scene.

“This is… my wish?”

Exactly. If this thing that was filling the emptiness in his heart at this moment could be called ‘satisfaction’.

“Destruction and sighs… can make me happy?”

Exactly. If the emotion that roiled within his heart at this moment could be called ‘joy’.

At this moment, Kotomine Kirei finally understood the true form of his own soul.

The collapse of everything was so beautiful.

People who were tormented were so lovable.

Tortured screams by his ears were so satisfying.

Burnt corpses were so laughable.

“… Haha.”

Unable to control the emotion that had reached boiling point, Kirei laughed hopelessly.

What kind of sin was this? What a cruel demon he was.

A world like this, cast aside by God, could actually be filled with vivid joy.

“What am I? Hahaha, what am I?!”

Even the feeling of hopelessness that tugged at his heart was so sweet. Kirei’s body trembled from his manic laughter. He could feel everything from his fingertips to the top of his head, clearly and distinctly.

Ahah, now I am alive —

I truly exist, right here —

For the first time he was aware of, and for the first time he truly felt, the fetters between him and the world.

“Why so twisted? Why so filthy? Am I really the descendant of Kotomine Risei? Hahahaha, impossible! Impossible! What is this?! Could my father really have sired a dog?!”

From a place that was completely opposite to his own faith, Kirei had found the truth. This ironic end was actually so satisfying.

He had circled so many winding roads. Had he been dreaming all along?

He had praised the preciousness of kindness, sang hymns to the beauty of holiness. Kirei had wasted twenty-odd years of his life precisely because he believed utterly in this sort of truth. He had never realized that his nature was completely contrary to this sort of truth.”
[...]
“After having had enough of laughing insanely, a smile remained on his mournful face as if it was the residue of his previous manic laughter. Perhaps from today on, he would always keep this expression. The leisurely smile that meant that he had accepted the truth of himself and the world, and was able to honestly face everything.”
-Fate/Zero Volume 4

Can someone explain to me how Gilgamesh survived the grail’s explosion? Saber’s form in the current world was destroyed, presumably from the energy discharge? Gilgamesh was closer to the grail than she was, yet he was intact for the black mud to pour over him? WTH?

Gilgamesh believed he had more of a right to exist than the mud and the willpower to back it up while Saber was weakened and (emotionally) unstable. It may have also had something to do with the fact that Kiritsugu used all his command seals.
The novel is probably a little clearer on the subject.

^Lol.
He was asking how Gil survived the Excaliblast explosion of the Grail when Saber tried to destroy it. Simple, he dodged it.
Excalibur is a directional NP that goes in a straight line. He dodged it but IIRC, he got a bit scratched by it. That’s why he was lying in the rubble on pic 5 here.
And Saber disappeared because she ran out of prana to sustain herself. She fired off all her reserves because she was forced to do an Excaliblast.

Also, unlike other vanquished Servants, whose spirits end up becoming fuel to power up the wish-granting machine that is the Grail, Saber wasn’t “killed” like the other Servants, this probably explains why she gets a second chance to be summoned again for the next Grail War by Shiro as she was simply sent back to that “limbo purgatory battleground” dimension whence she came from after she died as King Arthur.

Uh, no.
Saber was summoned in the next war due to the deadline of the summoning of the Servants was nearing then and there weren’t any Masters filling the slots(since it was an unexpected start of the war so that’s why). So the Grail will take it upon itself to choose a Master to fill the last slot(as is the case with our cool friend Ryuunosuke). Shirou was chosen as the last one. He did have a catalyst with him and the magic circle lingering in the Emiya household shed. Plus he did have a hidden wish and was chosen to participate like in Kotomine’s case.

And that wasn’t a limbo purgatory, that’s the true hillside of Camlann. She’s stuck in time kneeling on that hill due to her pact with the World to obtain the Grail in exchange for being a Heroic Spirit. She will be summoned in any time to get the Grail will return on that same place every time she fails. Which means she can’t die unless she gets the Holy Grail(she had a deathmatch on that place and is suppose to die)

I dont being “killed” has anything to do with being summoned again. Fate route in F/SN already explained that Servants can get summoned as many times as they want, but they dont retain any memories from their previous summon and how every instance of a heroic spirit’s summoning would be literally a different incarnation of him/her. It’s already been explain in the Fate Route of F/SN why Saber was able to be summoned again, not to mention keeping her memories. Read ahead if you already know/dont care about spoilers.

Saber never died at her time. She griefs and wished for a miracle and the grail answered by allowing her to become a live-heroic spirit. Thats why she retains her memories after both summoning and also the reason why she cant go in spirit form like all other servants. She’s literally alive.

I don’t think anyone was expecting a happy ending but the finale certainly wasn’t the utter despair that I’ve come to expect from Urobuchi sensei. Ilya’s conversation with Irisviel was especially enlightening and highlights yet again just how misunderstood Kiritsugu is. Not everyone has the luxury to buy himself a clear conscience and sometimes we have to make tough choices when we’re boxed in. The final scene with Kiritsugu and his adopted son was almost beautifully sad, in a kind of bittersweet way. To have Shirou inherit Kiritsugu’s childhood dream is a great way to end the series and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Fate/Zero is truly a great masterpiece and without a doubt one of the best animes ever made. Urobuchi sensei inspires me like no one else and I know I won’t be the only one who’s going to marathon it over and over again. Great job Ufotable, you guys totally deserve your fat pay checks ;)

I never liked Sakura in F/SN, especially after playing through Heaven’s Feel. Now its just been further reinforced by the way she acted in this episode. “Thats what you get for defying grandfather”. Are you f’ing kidding me? There’s no way I can sympathize with her now.

The rest of the conclusion are not really surprising especially for those who read F/SN. We all knew what were to happen to everyone, well besides Waver, who had a someone happy ending.

It’s a shame that UBW got a movie treatment instead of a full season. I’d much rather see UBW get the screen time it deserves, which is a perfect follow-up to Kiritsugu’s ideals in Shiro, than watching Heaven’s Feel that only revolves around Sakura’s constant whining.

To YanDaMan
I partially agree with your point of view but, hey, don’t forget, Sakura’s mind has been twisted by that ‘Grandpa’ and I would say if this didn’t happen, it is even stranger.

My impression about Sakura only limited to that in the anime of Fate/Stay Night. So, I don’t dislike her. May be I will get a different point of view after I played the game. However, for a poor girl who has gone through all those, I can’t help but sympathize.

Oh, right, let’s don’t forget this story is written by Gen Urobuchi, the ‘Warrior of Love’ (his own nickname) who love to torture nice girls and twist their personalities in his stories.

By the way, YanDaMan, have you watched ‘Spice and Wolf’? If you have, you should remember what’s happened to the rich boy who tried to take the heroine, Horro, from the protagonist, Craft Lawrence. The rich boy got a statement from the judge when he lost the competition and, as a result, lost some money:

‘That’s what you get for trying to take other people’s woman.’

I think this statement does fit the final fate of Kariya (the master of Berserker) as well. Although I sympathize his sacrifice, too.

Sakura has always been vindictive and spiteful, partly because of the worms ****ing her up and partly for the resentment she’s had through her horrible life. She just hides it really well, mostly for Shioru since she thinks Shirou likes nice girls.

> Sakura has always been vindictive and spiteful, partly because of the worms ****ing her up
> and partly for the resentment she’s had through her horrible life. She just hides it really
> well, mostly for Shioru since she thinks Shirou likes nice girls.
Wow…that, I don’t know.^_^bbbb
Looks like that’s why Sakura’s popularity was so low among the fans.
By the way, could this mean Sakura is ‘modeled’ from Fujino Asagami in ‘Kara no Kyoukai’?
Both of their personalities are very similiar.

Right, and thats precisely why I dont like Sakura. I understand the crap she went through but there’s a limit of what you consider yourself deserving or entitled to despite your crappy past. Sakura went beyond that line with her constant whining and child-like fits when she went Angra Mainyu. Its hard to sympathize with her after seeing this episode of Fate/Zero.

Reading through Heaven’s Feel in the novel was so agonizing because every 5 minute I have to put up with Sakura’s whining, and Shirou being undeservingly nice to her despite all the crap she pulled. The only saving grace for HF was how Kirei was a total badass, and the fact that we got more Rider screentime and how she played a more vital role instead of being killed right off the bat like the other routes. If they do make a HF anime (even though UBW deserved it more), I really hope they limit Sakura’s whining on screen and focus on the better points of the route

Sakura stared at the corpse of the man who had fallen before her in the icy-cold darkness of the worm storage. This man was muttering to himself even till the end, and a satisfied smile was on his face even as he died.
How odd. Why would this man return here? Why did he still want to live when he was in such a despicable state?
Although Sakura couldn’t understand why, she clearly knew why he was in anguish, and why he was dead.– You must not disobey Grandfather.
Everyone in the Makiri house knew that, but why wouldn’t this man obey that rule? He was an adult, but he was helplessly stupid.
Why, why would this man choose such a meaningless death?
After a brief consideration – ahh, that was why. Sakura suddenly understood it.
This must be her lesson tonight.
A lesson to teach her what would happen to those who disobeyed Grandfather’s will. This man died here so Sakura could see a real example with her own eyes.Yes, I understood, Grandfather.
The girl nodded obediently. She burned this scene deep into her memory while she stared, unmoving, at the corpse surrounded by worms that was gradually becoming smaller and smaller.

She was shackled to a wall and being wormraped as usual while this happened. She was mindbroken and wondering why would anyone return to his torture.

@YanDaMan: Blame the timeslot and how they tone down Sakura’s background. Manga portrays it as gruesome as it is (with her chained and spread as was described in the novels, very rage-inducing). She was mindbroken before (Kariya notices she moves like a living doll before he goes off the war), this was the last shred of sanity she had gnawed until she met Shirou.

They also changed a few things before. Like the Rin episode. In the novels, she never saves anyone and almost gets killed (that was all that happened). I interpreted it as her lesson to not do anything for Sakura since she was condemned to failure when it was seemly impossible.

This statement is, without a doubt, a befitting short definition of both ‘Fate/Zero’ and its conclusion (that is, this finale) and, I must say, this finale emphasises it with a punch.

For those who have watched ‘Fate/Stay Night’, it has answered a lot of questions that remained unanswered. I particularly love the final scene: when Emiya Kiritsugu sitting beside the young Shirou in their home (which is obviously the one Iri and Saber have stayed for a while) under the moonlight and they talked about being a hero, Kiritsugu said he can finally at peace when Shirou promised to take over his heroic role and, Kiritsugu remembered the question that Shirley asked him back on the island decades ago and he answered ‘I wanted to be a hero’. Finally, we have an explanation about this part of the story of ‘Fate/Stay Night’ that has affected our young hero (Shirou) for the rest of his life and, at the same time, gave the whole series of ‘Fate/Zero’ a touching and nostalgic conclusion. All these were enhanced by the special edition of the opening song, ‘To the Beginning’, which fit the finale in both melody and lyric.

However, there is still a small flaw in the story. It’s about the legend of Lancelot (our Berserker in this Holy Grail War). Someone said in the visual novel of ‘Fate/Stay Night’ Guinevere, the wife of the real King Arthur in the original legend, was never mentioned. This is a clever move of TYPE-MOON as our SABER is a girl.

Now, with our Berserker confessing why he’s gone mad, we have a problem: how the hell did Saber, who is definitely no homosexual in Fate/Stay Night, got herself a wife?

Also, the fight between Saber and Gilgamesh illustrated here doesn't agree with what we watched in 'Fate/Stay Night'.

Simple. As a king, she needs a queen. Done and done.
That’s why Lancelot is suffering. Guinevere is to become the queen figure for a female king but she is needed for the country. She cannot love anybody else but she fell for Lancelot and vice versa. Saber did not blame Lancelot for that because she was a woman and pretending to be a man to become a King. And she ended up punishing Lancelot in his famous betrayal in legends because she was required as a king. That’s why Berserker sought madness instead to relieve himself of guilt for betraying the Round Table.

And no, the one you saw in the F/SN anime did not happen. That was DEEN doing stuff.
Saber mentioned it in F/SN that she did not even land a single hit to Gil and he was too overpowered, which coincides here.

For our Saber being a girl, honestly, I could accept that to begin with. However, I think TYPE-MOON did a great job in smoothing it out. I found it acceptable after I watched the anime. (let’s hope the credit still goes to the original authors).

In fact, in the very original version of Fate/Stay Night (now called ‘Fate/ Prototype’), SABER, who is King Arthur, remained as a man. However, from what I made out from the short anime of Fate/Prototype, this original is way too ‘Shoujou story’ that I doubt how many male fans could accept it. For myself, I have already accepted Saber as a girl and found it hard to ‘re-adjust’.

Finally, Thank you very much for the answers, mate. For people who cannot get the original novels in translated form, you guys are saviors.

P.S.
One more answer to why so many fans hated Studio DEEN’s handling of Fate/Stay Night.

BRAVO!!! for a series that went for character’s more than action, dialogue more than cheesy plot twists, this series offered a perfect ending. A simple command that brought the end to the grail war, and in doing what he thought was the right thing ended up effecting so many lives in a way he couldn’t imagine. It was a brillaint ending, and i really did like how they gave each character there dues, it was well done.

Just to avoid misunderstanding, regarding Rin’s mother miraculous revival. Kotomine was revived from the Grail’s power but Rin’s mother, though she did look like she was killed by Kariya, she simply looked dead and suffered brain damage as a result of oxygen deprivation.

In terms of the series being overly-cruel, as also mentioned, it’s pretty realistic. You can do whatever you can for the good of mankind, the happiness of others, and so on, only for it to all blow up in your face and have things far worse than before in your attempts.

That was something I liked about Fate/Zero; not the cruelty itself, but the fact that it doesn’t try to make out a happy ending for everyone, because not everyone will or deserves one, regardless of how “good” they are just like how the “bad” people won’t always get their (immediate) comeuppance. There’s no real “heroes” nor is there really a “villain” and everything is gray. It’s all based on one’s point of view.

Fate/Zero was absolutely impressive. I still remember finishing FSN and finding out about the prequel, Fate/Zero. At first I thought it was an anime, but was dismayed that it was only a LN at the time. Well, fast forward 5-6 years, and I’m at the end of an epic tale.

Every single aspect of FZ was done to perfection, and then some. The fights were epic, the BGM/ soundtrack was epic, even the dialogue was epic. You’re doing something right if a couple of men in a room talking can be so enthralling.

I can’t believe Fate/Zero is over. It pushed past F/SN long ago as my favorite series of all time and it makes me sad that the magic that I look forward to each week has ended; yet it becomes a brilliant spectacle and an amazing ride that I will forever remember following. 6 years ago, F/SN left a mark on my soul and now Fate/Zero has done the same these past 9 months.

@Kentaiyoshimi
I felt the same exact way xD . I saw the anime, read the VN, and then found out about Fate Zero being released and heard they were great from friends. I thought it was an anime at first, but to my dismay it they were just novels. I remember hoping that I would someday see them as anime and the product here is beyond what I could have imagined.

@Verdant
Thank you very much for your weekly input and screen captures of the series as it came out this year. I very much enjoyed coming here after watching each episode and reading you and your staffs’ take each week. I really enjoyed reading the community’s response as well – thank you all for the great comments!

So, if I might contribute a question – I haven’t seen anyone comment on this yet, but the ending of Fate/Zero, in all its glory, has left me puzzled with F/SN’s opening scene. I had expected a grand battle between Saber and Gilgamesh, as F/SN starts here, yet it was absent. The scene may not be important in the grand scheme of things, but that scene had endured for the last 5 years as the only visuals of Fate/Zero I had seen – (Prior to F/Z’s release).

But, I would love to know where that battle went or if it was explained at some point? Is it likely that we will see some form of it or an expanded finale episode on the Blu-ray release?

Gilgamesh can be so hilarious sometimes without him even trying to XDDD I just love this series, so I cannot say anything bad about it, it enchanted me, it excited me, it moved me, it made me cry, it made me laugh, it has everything a show must have! I absolutely give it a 10/10!!!

I just wish to see Heaven’s Feel… Where Shiro will sacrifice everything, his dreams, even the world, for the ones [Sakura (lover) and Illya(sister)] who he loves, as a kind of a reverse to Fate/Zero where Kiritsugu (were kinda forced to) sacrifice those whom he loves to save the world.

in a sense being a “hero” as well.

Having quite the darker theme, I just wish for it to be epic as well and oh please, no dragons or dolphins. It kills the emotions and atmosphere which is important for the story and character development. I don’t see how ufotable could possibly do that.

The only thing for which i am wating for 2 years is to see FSN REMAKE FROM UFOTABLE with a Happy ending(shirou,saber,sakura,rin all getting along).i never liked HF..UBW was good..turely the FSN ANIME wasn’t as good as FATE ZERO..UFOTABLE NEEDS TO MAKE FSN BY THEMSELVES ….(FORGET ABOUT TYPE MOON AND SD)..OF COURSE WITH HAPPY ENDING (AS I SAID BEFORE )..PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT SAKURA…[ENDING OF FATE ZERO DESERVES NO MORE THAN 7/10..BUT THE WHOLE SERIES DESERVES 10/10..]

Kirei was resurrected by the black mud that spilled out of the hole in the sky, as well as Archer, who was supposed to disappear after Saber destroyed the Lesser Grail. The mud also sapped Kiritsugu, and left him a shell of his former self, a broken person.

Kiritsugu was supposed to order Saber to destroy that black hole, not the lesser grail, and that led to the destruction of the city.